About the document

"Body shop is one of the leading cosmetic brands in the world that has redefined the rules of the cosmetic industry. It has challenged the established norms in the industry by changing the parameters of competition. It is the second largest cosmetic brand in the world which has 2400 outlets in over sixty countries. The shops are distributed among the retailers as well as the company outlets. The company has followed an organic approach to growth concentrating on the establishment of internalized communication patterns and growth strategies. The Body shop is headquartered in south Hampton, west Sussex. It was found by Anita Roddick and has been recently acquired by the L'Oreal group. The company has shown rapid growth over the past few years that have been fuelled by the ever changing lifestyle needs of the population.

Since its inception, the company has experienced rapid exponential growth. It almost grew at the rate of fifty percent! It was enlisted on the London Stock Exchange securities market in the year in the year 1984, it was famously called as the company that defied gravity when, after its induction in the London Stock Exchange: the share prices appreciated by almost 500 percent! The company has been associated with many environmental issues. It has fought a long battle against the stereotyping of women as well and also tries to raise awareness about the increasing number of skinny models in the industry by focusing on the ill effects of anorexia and bolemia.

The company did not actively concentrate on cementing its image as a social campaigner but the change came in the year 1986; when the company actively supported the cause of Green peace for saving the whale in its natural habitat. The blatant change also resulted in Body shop pioneering the idea of the community trading, where the products are taken from a particular market at reasonable prices, who would otherwise be neglected. The marketing strategy is on premium pricing and the extra advantages are passed on to the end consumers to avail the maximum interest. Certain products are also priced in accordance with the price of the competitors. This is called as competitive pricing model. It advocates the use of the natural products, and forbids the use of the chemicals in the produced cosmetics. The company has been striving towards the development of a robust ecosystem for future survival of generations."